73 
I think you will agree with me that it is time w^e be* 
gan to find out. This, therefore, will form the sub¬ 
ject of one of the other prizes I am to offer. In 
addition, however, I will add another prize that has 
relation to Fungi—namely, one for the best essay on 
the Edible Fungi of the county. The inhabitants of 
Britain are very much behind their Continental v 
neighbours, inasmuch as that they neglect a great 
source of delicious and nutritious food presented by 
the Fungi growing in almost every meadow and 
wood. Many, indeed I may say most people, have 
acquired the unfortunate belief that, with the ex¬ 
ception of the common meadow mushroom, all mush¬ 
rooms and toodstools are virulently poisonous and 
worthless as food. This, in fact, w^as for a long time 
my owm belief, but now, I am happy to say, I know 
better. Since I have been enlightened on the sub¬ 
ject I have not had many opportunities of getting 
Fungi which principally delight in rich old meadows 
and woodland. However, 1 have managed to test 
the qualities of some 8 or 9 species, and now I never 
see a specimen without ascertaining, if possible, 
whether it is an edible species. Some kinds, it is 
true, are certainly poisonous, and others worthless as 
food ; but a very little experience will soon teach 
w hat species are to be avoided. Most, if not all, 
the fatal cases of poisoning by Fungi have been the 
result of the rankest carelessness, such as the case of 
a man mentioned by Mr Worthington Smith (whose 
little manual on the Edible Fungi I would recom¬ 
mend you to get). This man thought he would have 
a dish of mushrooms, so he went out and gathered 
fungi of every kind that he could find, came 
home, cooked them, and succeeded in poisoning 
his family and very nearly himself. He, however, 
recovered, and lived to kill himself by carelessly walk¬ 
ing into a well, a proceeding, as Mr Smith remarks, 
which was just what would be expected of such a 
man ! As an instance of good food wasted, I may 
mention the common puff-balls (called, when dry, by 
children devil’s snuff boxes,”) which abound on the 
North Inch in early autumn. These, when gathered 
fresh, cut in slices and fried with butter, are, I can 
